Politics

Impending Taliban Offensive this Spring

"Psychological Warfare"

For weeks now, Taliban spokesmen have been hinting that a massive new offensive is planned for the beginning of spring. A large portion of the Afghan population takes the Taliban's saber rattling very seriously. By Ratbil Shamel
Opposition Candidates in Nigeria Blacklisted

War against Corruption or Election Rigging?

With less than a hundred days to go before the presidential and parliamentary elections in Nigeria, an atmosphere of uncertainty and confusion has enveloped Africa's most populated nation. Ibrahim Sani reports
International Genocide Trial

Ruling on Serbia Individualizes the Blame

The UN's highest court cleared Serbia of direct responsibility for genocide in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war. Benjamin Pargan comments that Serbia now has less excuses to hand over war crimes criminals
Interview with Albin Eser

"Belgrade Has to Accept the Co-Responsibility"

For the first time, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared the Srebrenica massacre a genocide. An interview with Albin Eser, Director Emeritus of Germany's Max Planck Institute for International Criminal Law
By Alain-Xavier Wurst
China's Involvement in Sudan

Criticism of the Red Giant

While China and Sudan have been celebrating record levels of trade, there's increasing unhappiness among the people of Sudan about China's role in the country. Human rights activists criticise China's behaviour in the Darfur conflict and elsewhere. By Marc Engelhardt
Middle East Quartet Meeting in Germany

No Tangible Progress, But Important Signals

The Arab states are to be involved more strongly in revitalising the peace process in the Middle East in future. That is the outcome of the meeting of the "Middle East Quartet" in Berlin this week. Rainer Sollich comments
The Kurdish Issue in Turkey

Limits to the Policy of Assimilation

Around 20 percent of the Turkish population is Kurdish. Since the time of Atatürk, in spite of the size of this minority, the Turkish state has followed a policy towards them of assimilation or "Turkification." Mesut Yagin reports
Conflict in Southern Thailand

A Policy of Small Steps to Reconciliation

Because the country's interim government has not yet been able to bring the conflict under control, the situation in the mainly Muslim southern provinces of Thailand remains critical. Now Malaysia has offered to help establish peace in the turbulent region. Nicola Glass reports
The Nuclear Conflict with Iran

Tehran's Game of Cat and Mouse Continues

In the mounting dispute with the West over its nuclear program, Iranian foreign policy has taken some confusing and contradictory twists and turns. Bahman Nirumand takes a look behind the scenes
The West and Iran

Iran's Attack Blowback

A military confrontation with Iran will serve only to revive the fortunes of the country's infamous president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and fortify the Islamic Republic's last, desperate grab for a rebirth.
By Nasrin Alavi
Dispute over Iran's Nuclear Programme

Compromise-Free Politics

Sanctions or military intervention would achieve exactly the opposite of what they are allegedly being used to achieve. Instead of isolating the regime, Iranian civil society would be split right down the middle, writes Bahman Nirumand
Controversial Immunity Law in Afghanistan

National Reconciliation at the Cost of the Victims?

A new law has been proposed in Afghanistan to pave the way toward national reconciliation by guaranteeing all groups involved in the war during the past 28 years immunity. Ratbil Shamel with details